If a disabling physical or mental health condition prevents you from working, financial stress can be overwhelming. The disability income per month paid by the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs makes life easier for millions of recipients.
Sackett and Associates presents this article to help you understand how SSDI and SSI work, and equally as important, how much they pay claimants each month. You’ll learn about the programs and what qualifying for benefits can mean in terms of the Social Security disability pay to expect each month.
A Brief Overview Of The SSI And SSDI Programs
SSDI and SSI each pay disability benefits, provide coverage for medical expenses, and use the same disability standard to evaluate claims. Where they drastically differ is in their non-medical eligibility requirements.
As a needs-based program, SSI sets restrictive income and resource limitations as its non-medical eligibility criteria. For instance, assets or resources may not exceed $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for couples.
In contrast to SSI, eligibility for the SSDI program requires a work history at jobs or self-employment where Social Security taxes were paid on the earnings or income. The length of the work history required for eligibility depends on the worker’s age at the onset of a disability. Younger workers generally require a shorter work history than older workers.
The SSDI and SSI programs also differ in the amount each pays to qualifying claimants. A person’s monthly SSDI benefit amount depends on a calculation based on their lifetime earnings. SSI does not require a work history, so the federal government establishes a monthly benefit amount annually.
How Much Does SSDI Pay In Disability Income Per Month?
Social Security computes SSDI benefits using the average of up to 35 years of a worker’s earnings, indexed to allow for fluctuations in wage levels. There is a maximum monthly SSDI benefit payment that changes annually because of a cost-of-living adjustment.
The 2025 maximum monthly SSDI benefit is $4,018, representing an increase of $196 from the 2024 maximum. The average SSDI monthly payment estimate is $1,580.
If you qualify for SSDI and receive workers’ compensation benefits, your monthly SSDI may be reduced. The combination of workers’ compensation and SSDI payments cannot exceed 80% of your average earnings before becoming disabled without being subject to an offset.
An offset means the amount of the combined benefits exceeding 80% of pre-disability earnings is deducted from your monthly SSDI benefit payment. You continue to receive the full workers’ compensation benefit. This offset does not continue beyond when you reach full retirement age.
Full retirement age is when a person can retire and receive their Social Security benefits without an early retirement reduction. Many people qualify for early Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, but their monthly benefits are reduced by as much as 30% from what they could receive at full retirement age.
The Social Security Administration uses a person’s birth year to determine their full retirement age. For example, anyone born in 1960 or later may receive full retirement benefits at age 67. The following shows retirement ages for people born from 1955 to 1959:
When you reach full retirement age while collecting SSDI benefits, the disability payments automatically convert to retirement. If you receive SSDI subject to an offset for workers’ compensation, the offset does not apply once your disability benefits convert to retirement.
Monthly Benefits Through SSI
The maximum federal monthly SSI benefit payment in 2025 for individuals is $967, and $1,450 for couples. Some states supplement the federal SSI benefits for their residents. An annual federal cost-of-living adjustment affects SSI benefits in the same way as it does SSDI.
You may not receive the maximum monthly SSI benefit. If you work, every $2 in earnings reduces your disability benefit from SSI by about $1. Every $1 you receive in income from sources other than work reduces monthly SSI benefits by about $1.
Do Disability Payments Begin Immediately After Approval Of Your Claim?
Now that you know how much SSDI pays and what to expect from SSI, you’ll want to know when to expect the first benefit payment. The SSDI program has a five-month waiting period measured from the onset date of your disability. SSI does not have a waiting period.
Get More Information From A Disability Lawyer At Sackett Law
When you need help with Social Security disability benefits, turn to Sackett and Associates. We have been the trusted source for advice and representation for people with disability claims in Northern California and throughout the country for 45 years. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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